In this post I’ll be sharing my favorite Classic Shrimp Cocktail Sauce Recipe.

A shrimp cocktail is a popular appetizer. We love it! I make it often and sometimes we enjoy shrimp with this old school seafood sauce for an easy lunch.

We prefer our cocktail sauce on the spicy side so that it is nice and tangy with the delicate sweetness of the shrimp. Each bite tickles your taste buds. 

The recipe for making your own homemade cocktail sauce is simple. It is as quick and easy as adding all of your ingredients to a mixing bowl and giving it a stir.

If you enjoy seafood meals and this tangy red sauce then you might also enjoy my homemade tartar sauce recipe (it is very popular) or a Cajun style red remoulade sauce.

Quick and Easy Seafood Sauce

Check out those beautiful jumbo cooked shrimp that I’ve arranged on a bed of crushed ice along with a few lemon slices and that wonderful homemade cocktail sauce.

Don’t you love the vintage serving tray too? That tray was meant to be for me and I’ll tell you why and just a bit!

What is Cocktail Sauce Made Of

Here’s What You Need (don’t worry, all of the details will be further down in the printable recipe card)

• Chili Sauce
• Sea Salt
• Worcestershire
• Lemon Juice
• Prepared Horseradish Sauce (I like the extra hot)
• Cooked Shrimp for Serving

Spicy Cocktail Sauce

Add all of your ingredients for the classic shrimp cocktail sauce recipe to a small mixing bowl and combine.

As I mentioned, we love our sauce on the spicy side. If you don’t prefer it that way then start with less of the horseradish and give it a quick taste test then add more.

Once you have your awesome sauce (sorry, I couldn’t resist) mixed up, it is ready to serve or cover it and chill in the fridge until you need it.

Classic Shrimp Cocktail Appetizer

Several weeks ago, I prepared the cocktail sauce to share with y’all and took photos. 

The classic serving style of a shrimp cocktail appetizer on a glass was how I set the recipe up for the photo shoot. 

There was just one teeny tiny problem. The shrimp cocktail still looks yummy and all but I just wasn’t thrilled with those photos. Perhaps I’m too picky sometimes.

I usually have a vision of how I want my recipes to look, sometimes I nail it and sometimes not.

Anyways, I decided to hold off on posting the cocktail sauce recipe so I could do a retake on the photos. 

Homemade Shrimp Sauce

So a few weeks later, hubs asked if I wanted to swing by the resale store. I said sure because we hadn’t been in a while. I’ve discovered some great treasures in thrift stores.

When we walked in, I headed straight for their special area where they kept more vintage and a little bit pricier (but still cheap) stuff and there it was…the vintage shrimp cocktail serving platter.

I was thrilled! I was so excited about my find that we headed straight to the grocery store so I could grab a jar of chili sauce and some shrimp so I could do a re-shoot on the photos.

What y’all think about the new pics?

Old Fashioned Cocktail Sauce with Shrimp

How do you make cocktail sauce from scratch?

Below you’ll find the printable recipe card with extract measurements. Further down I’m sharing a couple more tasty shrimp recipes that you can find here on the blog.

Classic Shrimp Cocktail Sauce Recipe

What is the best cocktail sauce? The best sauces are always the ones that you make yourself and you know exactly what is in there.

How long will cocktail sauce last in the refrigerator? If the sauce is divided, the unused portion may be refrigerated up to a month. Discard any sauce that has had seafood dipped in it.

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Thank you for stopping by! I’m so happy that you did. If you enjoy a delicious shrimp cocktail then you’ll love this recipe for making your own at home.

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